Passing grades: All but one school meet accountability requirements
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, August 8, 2006
Shelby County schools earned a high rating on their annual accountability results, which were released Monday by the Alabama State Board of Education.
Only one school, Montevallo High School, failed to pass all of its requirements this year, completing 80 percent of its goals.
&8220;We are extremely pleased,&8221; Shelby County Schools Superintendent Evan Major said. It is a true indication of how hard our principals and teachers have worked this year to make sure our students were well prepared.&8221;
In addition, all 10 of the schools that failed to pass the AYP standards last year made their goals this year.
According to a Shelby County Schools Testing and Guidance Supervisor Susan Seng, under the accountability system established by the No Child Left Behind Act schools must make AYP goals each year on state assessments.
&8220;In order to make AYP, schools must meet state goals in all subgroups in the reading, math or additional academic indicators each year,&8221; Seng said. &8220;If any school fails to make AYP two years in a row in the same component, it enters school improvement status.&8221;
Major said he was especially proud of Calera Elementary School for meeting its goals this year. Due to its Title I federally funded status, the school was on the verge of having to offer school choice to its students this year if it had failed to meet AYP standards.
The school passed all of its requirements and came one step closer to moving off of school improvement status.
&8220;I called to personally congratulate Principal Linda Chesler,&8221; Major said.
Seven county schools that did not meet AYP standards last year, including Columbiana, Montevallo, Oak Mountain, Riverchase, Thompson Middle schools, Creekview Elementary School, Thompson Intermediate School and the school district.
Thos schools all met their AYP goals this year and moved one step closer to be to being cleared from school improvement status. The schools are required to pass their AYP goals for one more year before moving into the clear.
&8220;It takes two years of not making AYP to enter school improvement status,&8221; Seng said. &8220;And it takes two years of making AYP to come out of it.&8221;